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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Should I be taking extra vitamins?

15 replies

SamP · 14/08/2004 20:02

Hi all, I'm now 17 weeks pregnant and my diet is dreadful, it isn't through lack of trying but 'healthy' food seems to just make my stomach turn. I'm trying my hardest to eat more sensibly but my appetite has disappeared and I just seem to eat junk (crisps, burgers) when I do feel hungry. I'm worried that baby won't be getting all the nutrition they need. Should I take extra vitamins and if so which ones??!! This pregnancy lark is very complex isn't it?!!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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aloha · 14/08/2004 20:17

Why not take a pregnancy multivitamin. Pregnacare is good. I do happen to think it is worth making an extra effort to have a decent diet when you are pregnant as well.

beansprout · 14/08/2004 20:27

I am veggie and have a pretty good diet, but have been taking vitamins (Pregnacare too) on the basis that you can't have too much of a good thing.

Has your appetite and diet changed? I went off a lot of my usual foods early on but have come back round to them. Perhaps try some different foods? I was told that if I didn't eat well I would be left feeling exhausted as the baby will do all it can to get the nutrients it needs but you will be left with the leftovers, nutritionally speaking. Plus diet will affect your weight (obviously) as well as general well being. I found this hard when I couldn't face my normal dinners, but hopefully this will change for you. Are you still having morning sickness? The end of that helped a lot. appetite wise.....! Good luck!

Tessiebear · 14/08/2004 20:37

I was the same samP - was craving burgers,Kentucky fried etc - towards the middle to end of my pregnancys i made a concious effort to eat more healthily when i felt like it more - go with what your body tells u to eat. The sanatogen Pregnancy multivitamin is good

gloworm · 14/08/2004 20:48

SamP, i'm a nutritionist and own a health shop and I would definatly recommend a good multi vitamin. It has been proven that you have much lower risk of complications such as pre-eclmpsia etc if you take a good one. Solgar Prenatal Vitamins are excellent and I strongly recommend them, I have used them during 2 pg and found them great. One of the many benefits they have are the fact that the iron they contain is non-constipating and non-tummy upsetting. You can get them in health shop(not H&B) or online.
If you want any more advice on things to take just ask!!

edam · 14/08/2004 21:03

Erm, disagree with Gloworm. Great sales tactic but no-one should feel that they have to take a multi-vit or they would be putting their baby at risk. Rubbish. A healthy diet may reduce the risk of complications, but there are no reliable, peer-reviewed scientific studies to say you have to take multi-vits or that multi-vits reduce the risk of complications. Would be impossible to design one too, as you'd have to control people's diet so closely and that would be unethical with pregnant women.

Sermon over... if you are concerned about your diet, then a pregancy multi-vit might be a good idea, if only because it will reassure you. Do make sure it is a pregnancy one though, as normal multi-vits contain things you don't want to OD on in pregnancy, such as Vitamin A. But don't forget, you also need protein, ideally from your diet (again, the sort of protein drinks body-builders take may be overdoing it a bit).
You can get more information from the Food Standards Agency website, they are an independent but official body that is responsible for regulating the food industry in this country: info

edam · 14/08/2004 21:04

PS Just a theory based on no evidence whatsoever, but I found I craved carbohydrates in late pregnancy, and comforted myself by thinking it must be what the baby needed, as they are basically growing at that stage, rather than creating body parts.

JanH · 14/08/2004 21:18

Whatever you end up using, Sam, take with fresh orange juice because it increases iron absorption (and adds Vit C too!).

gloworm · 14/08/2004 21:21

edam agree to disagree on this one (honestly its not a sales tactic as no one from mumsnet will ever be anywhere near my shop, i have a degree in nutrition and keep up to date with as much current research as I can...ohhh dont I sound defensive, it must be the wine talking

agree with you on the carbohydrate theory...I ate loads in the last 3 mths and assumed the baby needed it, and didnt really put on any excess weight. a great excuse to indulge in choc!!

Turtle35 · 15/08/2004 14:38

I started out on pregnacare and got so constipated I thought I was gonna die!!

I changed to Solgar about 20 weeks into the pregnancy (I am now 30 weeks) what a difference it has made!! I am ALMOST regular I do drink about 2L of water every day too!!

I personally ate rubbish food in the beginning and felt that at least the vitamins were helping? It has definitely been proven that folic acid can reduce that chances of spina bifida sp - that alone made me want to take a prenatal vitamin.

Of course the choice is yours but my theory is....why not take them?

Original poster

SamP · 15/08/2004 15:42

Thank you so much guys, this site is a real life line! I will definitely go out and buy some vitamins, even if just to put my mind at rest!
Beansprout, in answer to your question, I was very fortunate and haven't really suffered from morning sickness so I don't know what is up with my appetite.
Do you think the bad diet is also the reason I seem to constantly have a bad stomach? Constipation is not what I need to worry about!!!

OP posts:

Twiglett · 15/08/2004 17:46

message withdrawn

Vornsta · 17/08/2004 22:46

I am taking solgar, but have a query about it. Perhaps gloworm can help? I understood that you weren't meant to take calcium supplements of more than around 200mg with iron supplements as they hinder each other's absorption. Solgar contains the RDA of iron and calcium however, so surely absorption of one or the other isn't great?

kirstyk · 18/08/2004 16:27

Samp-the bad diet and the fact you are pg are probably down to any unusal toilet action. I am 18 weeks and could go a few days with nothing and then start to be regular but diet stayed the same. It's not nice i know but just another joy of pregnancy i guess, i know what you are going through. I agree with twiglet about not skimping on the non-pregnancy vits, i take the sanatogen pregnancy ones and they are fine for me. Like most of you said i have a diet which i know could be better but it's what i want and to be honest im just grateful not to feel sick! So the vitamins do make me feel a little better about what i eat.

motherinferior · 18/08/2004 16:32

I could only stomach total junk in the first few months of my first pregnancy. Organic fruit and yoghurt made my stomach heave. I found myself stuffing Starbucks 'frappucinos' and muffins. Reckon the sheer artificiality kept it down...

...and the babe in question is now a healthy three-year-old who loves fruit and veg, by the way.

(oh god, that was yet another of my 'don't worry, have a little drink, it'll all be fine' posts, wasn't it?)

honeybunny · 18/08/2004 16:57

I'd second and third Solgars prenatal supps. I've taken them all through both last and current pg and throughout bf, also EFAs (essential fatty acids-Biocare). Its kept my Hb levels up and I've felt good on them.

And there has been lots of research into the benefit of supplements thought to be helpful in pg edam......
Vit E- pre-eclampsia
Folic Acid- neural tube defects

Animal vit A eg liver has been shown to have a detrimental effect on a babies development, but not veg sources of it.

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